Fan assembly

ABSTRACT

A fan assembly includes a first fan and a second fan mounted on the first fan. The first and second fans respectively include first and second frames. The first frame includes four pairs of first flakes on a top thereof. The first flakes of each pair are arranged face to face, and each protrudes a first hook towards the other one. The second frame includes four pairs of second flakes on a bottom thereof. The second flakes of each pair are arranged back to back, and each protrudes a second hook pointing away from the other one. The pair of second flakes are received between a corresponding pair of first flakes with the second hooks respectively engaging with the first hooks.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to fan assemblies, and more particularlyto a fan assembly which can be conveniently assembled.

2. Description of Related Art

With continuing development of the electronic technology, electroniccomponents such as CPUs (central processing units) generate more andmore heat required to be dissipated immediately. Therefore, fanassemblies are widely used to help dissipating heat of the electroniccomponents.

A typical fan assembly includes at least two fans assembled together.Each of the fans includes a frame and an impeller rotatably received inthe frame. The frames of the fans are assembled together via a pluralityof individual fasteners, such as screws or bolts, etc. However,assembling the fans via these fasteners is inconvenient andtime-consuming. In addition, these fasteners also increase themanufacture cost of the fan assembly.

For the foregoing reasons, a fan assembly which can overcome thedescribed shortcomings is desired.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with referencesto the following drawings. The components in the drawings are notnecessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed uponclearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover,in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is an assembled, isometric view of a fan assembly according to afirst embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an exploded, isometric view of the fan assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a second fan of the fan assembly of FIG.2, viewed from a bottom aspect.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a circled portion IV of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a front elevational, exploded view of a fan assembly accordingto a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a first fan of a fan assembly accordingto a third embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of a second fan of the fan assemblyaccording to the third embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made to the drawings to describe various presentembodiments in detail.

Referring to FIG. 1, a fan assembly according to a first embodiment ofthe present disclosure includes a first fan 10 and a second fan 20mounted on the first fan 10. The second fan 20 is located above thefirst fan 10.

Referring to FIG. 2, the first fan 10 includes a frame 11 and animpeller 12 rotatably received in the frame 11. The frame 11 includes atubular body 110, a bottom flange 111 extending horizontally outwardlyfrom a bottom end of the tubular body 110, and a top flange 112extending horizontally outwardly from a top end of the tubular body 110.The bottom flange 111 and the top flange 112 each are substantiallyrectangular. Eight first flakes 113 extend upwardly from the top flange112 of the first fan 10 toward the second fan 20. The eight first flakes113 are divided into four pairs. The four pairs of first flakes 113 arerespectively positioned at four corners of the top flange 112. Each pairof first flakes 113 includes two first flakes 113 arranged closely sideby side and face each other. The inner surfaces 114 of each pair offirst flakes 113 are parallel to and face each other. Each of the firstflakes 113 protrudes a hook 115 horizontally inwardly from a top freeend thereof. The hook 115 of one of each pair of first flakes 113protrudes toward the other one of the pair of first flakes 113. The hook115 is wedge-shaped and protrudes out of the inner surface 114 of thefirst flake 113. An inclined surface 116 is formed at a top end of eachhook 115.

Referring also to FIG. 3, the second fan 20 is similar to the first fan10. The second fan 20 includes a frame 21 and an impeller 22 (referringto FIG. 1) rotatably received in the frame 21. The frame 21 includes atubular body 210, a top flange 211 extending horizontally outwardly froma top end of the tubular body 210, and a bottom flange 212 extendinghorizontally outwardly from a bottom end of the tubular body 210. Thebottom flange 212 defines four grooves 217 in four corners thereof,respectively. Each of the grooves 217 corresponds to a pair of firstflakes 113 of the first fan 10. The groove 217 includes a bottom opening218 facing the first fan 10 and a side opening 219 perpendicular to thebottom opening 218 and facing a front side or a rear side of the bottomflange 212. Each of the grooves 217 has a pair of second flakes 213protruding downwardly from a bottom of the groove 217 toward the bottomopening 218. The second flakes 213 are similar to the first flakes 113.However, each pair of the second flakes 213 are arranged back to back.The outer surfaces 214 of each pair of second flakes 213 are arrangedback to back. Each second flake 213 includes a hook 215 at a bottom freeend thereof. The hook 215 of one of each pair of second flakes 213pointes away from the other one of the pair of second flake 213. Thehook 215 is wedge-shaped and protrudes out of the outer surface 214 ofthe second flake 213. An inclined surface 216 is formed at a bottom endof each hook 215. In addition to being exposed downwardly, each pair ofsecond flakes 213 are also exposed sideways from the groove 217 to anoutside via the side opening 219 of the groove 217. A distance betweenthe outer surfaces 214 of a pair of second flakes 213 is slightlysmaller than that between the inner surfaces 114 of a pair of firstflakes 113.

Referring to FIG. 4, in assembling the fan assembly, the tubular body110 of the first fan 10 is aligned with the tubular body 210 of thesecond fan 20, and each pair of first flakes 113 face the bottom opening218 of a corresponding groove 217 of the second fan 20 with the inclinedsurfaces 116 facing corresponding inclined surfaces 216. The first andsecond fans 10, 20 are pushed towards each other. The inclined surfaces116 of each pair of first flakes 113 slip along the inclined surfaces216 of the corresponding pair of second flakes 213. The pair of firstflakes 113 deform outwardly, and the pair of second flakes 213 deforminwardly. After the hooks 115 of the pair of first flakes 113 pass overthe hooks 215 of the corresponding pair of second flakes 213, the firstand second flakes 113, 213 rebound to there original shapes, and thehooks 115 of the pair of first flakes 113 snappingly engage with thehooks 215 of the corresponding pair of second flakes 213. Therefore, thesecond fan 20 is conveniently mounted on the first fan 10. In thisstate, each pair of second flakes 213 are positioned between thecorresponding pair of first flakes 113. Each pair of first flakes 113and the corresponding pair of second flakes 213 are exposed sideways tothe outside through the side opening 219 of the corresponding groove 217of the second fan 20, so that the operator or user can convenientlyoperate the first and the second flakes 113, 213 when the fan assembly100 is required to be disassembled. In addition, the first and secondflakes 113, 213 are integrally formed with the first and second fans 10,20 respectively, to thereby reduce the manufacture cost of the fanassembly. Furthermore, in assembly of the fan assembly, the first andsecond flakes 113, 213 deform simultaneously, each of the first andsecond flakes 113, 213 only needs to occur a little deformation, tothereby reduce a risk of break of the first and second flakes 113, 213.

In the aforementioned embodiment, the grooves 217 are defined in thesecond fan 20, and each pair of second flakes 213 are formed in thegroove 217, and the first flakes 113 extend directly upwardly from thetop flange 112 of the first fan 10. Alternatively, referring to FIG. 5,the grooves 217 can be defined in four corners of the top flange 112 ofthe first fan 10 and each pair of first flakes 113 is received in acorresponding groove 217 of the first fan 10, and the second flakes 213extend directly downwardly from the bottom flange 212 of the second fan20.

FIG. 6 shows a frame 11 a of a first fan of a fan assembly according toa third embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 shows a frame 21 aof a second fan of the fan assembly of the third embodiment. The frames11 a, 21 a are similar to the frames 11, 21 in the first embodiment,differing from the first embodiment in that the top flange 112 a of theframe 11 a protrudes four first flakes 113 respectively at four cornersthereof, and the bottom flange 212 a of the frame 21 a defines fourgrooves 217 a at four corners thereof corresponding to the four firstflakes 113 of the frame 11 a. Each of the grooves 217 a protrudesupwardly a second flake 213 corresponding to one of the first flakes 113of the frame 11 a. The four first flakes 113 are grouped into two pairs.The two pairs of first flakes 113 are respectively positioned at twoopposite sides of the top flange 112 a. Each pair of first flakes 113includes two first flakes 113 provided at two neighboring corners of thetop flange 112 a, and the two first flakes 113 are arranged face toface. Each of the grooves 217 a includes a bottom opening 218 a facingthe corresponding first flake 113, and a side opening 219 aperpendicular to the bottom opening 218 a and facing a front side or arear side of the frame 21 a. The four second flakes 213 are also dividedinto two pairs. Each pair of second flakes 213 includes two secondflakes 213 provided at two neighboring corners of the bottom flange 212a, and the two second flakes 213 are respectively received in twoadjacent grooves 217 a and arranged back to back. When the frame 21 a ismounted on the frame 11 a, each of the first flakes 113 engages with acorresponding second flake 213, and the first flake 113 and thecorresponding second flake 213 are exposed to an outside through theside opening 219 a of the groove 217 a.

It is to be understood that even though numerous characteristics andadvantages of the disclosure have been set forth in the foregoingdescription, together with details of the structure and function of theembodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may bemade in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement ofparts within the principles of the invention to the full extentindicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which theappended claims are expressed.

1. A fan assembly comprising: a first fan comprising a first frame, thefirst frame comprising at least a pair of first flakes formed at a topthereof, the at least a pair of first flakes being arranged face toface, each one of the at least a pair of first flakes protruding a firsthook towards the other one of the at least a pair of first flakes; asecond fan comprising a second frame, the second frame comprising atleast a pair of second flakes formed at a bottom thereof, the at least apair of second flakes being arranged back to back, each one of the atleast a pair of second flakes protruding a second hook pointing awayfrom the other one of the at least a pair of second flakes; wherein theat least a pair of second flakes is received between the at least a pairof first flakes with the second hooks of the at least a pair of secondflakes respectively engaging with the first hooks of the at least a pairof first flakes.
 2. The fan assembly of claim 1, wherein one of thefirst frame and the second frame defines at least a groove for receivinga corresponding one of the at least a pair of first flakes and the atleast a pair of second flakes therein.
 3. The fan assembly of claim 2,wherein the at least a groove comprises a plurality of grooves definedin the second frame, the at least a pair of second flakes comprises aplurality of pairs of second flakes which are respectively formed in theplurality of grooves, each of the grooves comprises a first openingfacing the first fan, each of the second flakes protrudes from a bottomof a corresponding groove towards the first opening of the correspondinggroove, the at least a pair of first flakes comprises a plurality ofpairs of first flakes, each first flake of the first fan extends intothe corresponding groove of the second fan from the first opening of thecorresponding groove to engage with a corresponding second flake.
 4. Thefan assembly of claim 3, wherein each groove further comprises a secondopening which is perpendicular to first opening and faces a lateral sideof the second frame, each first flake and the corresponding second flakeare exposed to an outside through the second opening of the each groove.5. The fan assembly of claim 4, wherein the first frame comprises eightfirst flakes formed thereon, the eight first flakes are divided intofour pairs, each pair of first flakes comprises two first flakesarranged closely to each other, the second frame defines four groovestherein, each of the grooves faces a pair of first flakes of the firstfan, and one of the pairs of second flakes is received in acorresponding groove.
 6. The fan assembly of claim 3, wherein the firsthook and the second hook are wedge-shaped, a first inclined surface isformed on a top end of each first hook, a second inclined surface isformed on a bottom end of each second hook, the first inclined surfaceof each first flake faces the second inclined surface of a correspondingsecond flake.
 7. The fan assembly of claim 3, wherein a top of the firstframe extends horizontally outwardly to form a first flange, the firstflakes protrude upwardly from the first flange, a bottom of the secondframe extends horizontally outwardly to form a second flange, the secondflakes protrude downwardly from the second flange.
 8. The fan assemblyof claim 3, wherein the first fan further comprises a first impellerrotatably mounted in the first frame thereof, the second fan furthercomprises a second impeller rotatably mounted in the second framethereof.
 9. The fan assembly of claim 1, wherein the first framecomprises two pairs of first flakes formed thereon, each pair of firstflakes comprises two first flakes provided at two neighboring corners ofthe first frame and the two first flakes are arranged face to face, thesecond frame defines four grooves at four corners thereof, respectively,each of the grooves faces one of the first flakes of the first fan, thesecond frame has two pairs of second flakes formed thereon, each of thegrooves has one of the second flakes formed therein.